


My Hero

by FestiveFerret



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Admissions, Angry Steve Rogers, Confessions, First Kiss, Homophobic Language, M/M, Protective Steve Rogers, Slurs, sappy af
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-12 08:43:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12955548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FestiveFerret/pseuds/FestiveFerret
Summary: “Steve punched a guy!”





	My Hero

**Author's Note:**

> CW: Homophobic language/slurs spoken by assholes.
> 
> I said I would write happy/fluffy things this month! This kinda counts... :P
> 
> Thanks as always to ashes0909 for beta <3

“Steve punched a guy!” Clint crowed, as he, Natasha, and Steve poured into the living room. Tony tried to catch Steve’s eye as he drifted in behind the two spies, but he marched resolutely into the kitchen, ignoring all of them.

“He what?” Tony asked, setting his tablet down.

“He punched Agent Rafferty. Right in the face. It was amazing.”

Steve opened the fridge and rummaged around inside. His face was carefully expressionless, but Tony could see his tension in the way his shoulders hitched up and the sharp rattle of the bottles in the fridge door.

“What happened?”

“No one knows,” Nat said, her eyes following Steve’s back as he shuffled across the room and tumbled into his favourite chair. He wouldn’t look at any of them.

“We were talking, and then suddenly Steve was across the room with his fist embedded in Rafferty’s face.”

“Jesus, is the guy still breathing?” Tony asked.

“He’ll be fine,” Steve bit out, and Tony turned to face him.

“They’re telling the truth? You really hit someone?” Tony’s jaw dropped. He assumed the spies were trying to get a rise out of Steve for something else.

“He deserved it…” Steve mumbled. He shifted under their combined gaze. “I gotta go.” He pushed back out of his chair and through the door. Tony heard the creak of the stairs’ door.

“Holy shit.” He turned to face Clint and Natasha again.

“I know, right?” Clint shrugged. “He won’t tell anyone what the guy said, but apparently his super-hearing picked up something he didn’t like.”

“He hit him once in the face, hard enough to send him down,” Nat added. “He must have pulled his punch, of course, because Rafferty’s brains are still currently in his skull, but it was still hard enough to do damage. Then he hauled the guy up by his shirt, muttered something in his ear and stormed out. Rafferty was crying for his mom when we last saw him - we followed Steve.”

“He went right to Coulson’s office. Was in there for twenty minutes, then came out with that scowl on his face. We took him home right away, but he won’t talk about it.” Clint ran a hand over his face. “Man, that was awesome. I gotta write all about it in my diary.” He flipped Tony off, grabbed a bag of cookies from the counter, and wafted out, calling out, “Later,” as he disappeared through the door.

“You need to talk to him,” Nat said, once they were alone. “He won’t tell anyone what happened.”

“Why would he tell me?” Tony asked, but she just rolled her eyes.

“Go.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going.” Tony tossed his tablet aside and headed for the elevators up to Steve’s room.

He knocked on the door to Steve’s apartment, and Steve called out, “Come in,” immediately. He stood with his back to the back of his couch, leaning against it, arms crossed tightly over his chest. He was scowling at the floor and didn’t seem at all surprised that it was Tony who walked in.

“Dude,” Tony said and padded over to stand in front of him.

Steve lifted his chin, caught Tony’s eye for a moment, then dropped it again. “It’s not a big deal.”

“I would have agreed with you, if you weren’t up here sulking and refusing to talk to anyone. You’re the one making it a big deal.”

Steve huffed a frustrated little breath and half rolled his eyes. “The two of them wouldn’t leave me alone about it. I just want to forget it.”

“Tell me what happened,” Tony pressed. “The guy said something?”

To Tony’s surprise, Steve’s cheeks coloured. Steve was usually pretty good at containing his emotions and there was something delightful about seeing them light up his skin. “Yeah… he said something…”

“What’d he say?” Tony shifted closer. It had taken some time, but Steve trusted Tony now. Their friendship had been built on rocky foundations, but it was strong now - stronger than either of them had with any other member of the team. And Tony could tell that Steve needed to talk about this.

Steve’s jaw clenched, then he lifted his chin and looked Tony right in the eye. “He said, ‘I can’t believe a civilian like Tony Stark gets to be an Avenger when they could have someone actually competent fly the suit.’” He took a steadying breath. “‘I could replace that fag in a heartbeat.’”

Steve’s eyes flashed with something dark, while Tony felt his go wide. Then he chuckled without humour. “Guess there were photographers at my date with Jason last week.”

Steve twisted his fingers together. “Uh yeah, apparently they were posted on some entertainment websites this morning.”

“Ah, well… thanks for hitting him, I guess.” Tony sighed. “Dick.”

“I - ah - said some things too…”

“What’d you say?”

Steve didn’t hesitate to reply. “‘Tony Stark is worth twenty of you, even without the suit.’”

Tony tried to hold back the smile that was blooming across his face, but he couldn’t. “Thanks, Cap,” he said softly. “People have been saying shitty things about me my whole life, but I’ve never had someone defend me quite like that.”

“And - uh - I said, ‘And there are two ‘fags’ on the Avengers. If you think you’re better than Captain America, you’re welcome to meet me in the gym tomorrow for your audition to replace me.’”

Steve had stood up for him. No one ever did that. Tony stood up for himself so intensely, most people seemed to think that he deserved to be knocked down a peg once in a while. But, by the telling of it, Steve hadn’t even hesitated. And he was _still_ angry; it was rolling off him in waves. He’d held back, because he knew the fight wouldn’t be fair, but Tony had no doubt that if Steve was able to turn the serum off, he would have wailed on Rafferty until someone dragged him away. Tony took another step closer - and wait - was that Steve admitting he liked guys?

In that case, he probably wouldn’t mind… “My hero,” Tony whispered with a smile, then leaned up and gave Steve a kiss.

Tony aimed for Steve’s cheek, but Steve turned a little at the last moment, and Tony caught the corner of his mouth. His lips were soft and warm and he smelled crisp, like fresh snow. Tony’s smile burst again, replaying the vision in his head of Steve flying across the room to slam his fist into some dickwad homophobic asshole just for insulting Tony.

Tony stepped around Steve to leave, his head spinning, but before his shoulder could brush past Steve’s, firm fingers snatched his arm, gripping him tight. Steve’s mouth was hanging open and his eyes were wide. “Was that-?” he started, but cut himself off, his jaw slamming shut.

And, as the weight of what Steve had done for _him_ started to fade, Tony realized that what Steve had said might have been monumental _for Steve._ Tony was pretty open with his friends about his sexuality, even if he preferred the press stay the fuck out of his dates, but Steve had never given any indication that he was anything other than straight. Which meant that today might have been the first time he said it, and, ignoring the asshole who was likely still getting his nose sewn back on, Tony was probably the first person he had come out to. Tony stilled then shifted back, Steve’s hand still hanging from his bicep.

He met Steve’s eyes and tried to pour in the things that were too complicated to say. “Thank you for telling me. I’m glad you trust me that much.”

“I trust you more than anyone…” Steve’s eyes drifted down to Tony’s mouth and there it was, for the first time, a flicker of something. Tony considered the stomach-twisting possibility that Steve had chosen to tell him for a _reason._ He could have just recounted the first half of his comeback, or modified it to leave out his personal admission, but he hadn’t. Maybe he _needed_ Tony to know. “You’re _my_ hero, Tony.”

The crackle of electricity between them sparked off again, and Tony leaned in, just a little, tilting his chin up and away. The rest had to be up to Steve, but Tony leaked welcome out of every inch of his body and prayed that Steve would take it.

And he did. Steve leaned in, eyes fixed back on Tony’s mouth. Steve’s aim was off-centre too, like Tony’s, the kiss half-cheek, half-lips. Or maybe he hadn’t been able to decide which he was going for. He pulled back a little, but Tony leaned into it, chasing him, an invitation, and the next kiss was dead on. It was still soft, still hesitant, but it was also a question and a promise twined together, and Tony had no doubts what his answer would be.

“Yes…” he hummed as Steve pulled away again. Tony waited to open his eyes until he could no longer feel Steve’s skin, warm against his. He let his hands slide up Steve’s arms, and Steve’s hands dropped to Tony’s waist, settling on the juts of his hipbones. Tony took a step backwards, drawing Steve with him, until he was pressed against the back of the couch, Steve crowding up against his chest. He tugged Steve into another kiss, and this one couldn’t seem to find its end. They curled into one shared shape, time drifting by, lost in each other. Curious fingers tested the edges of their boundaries, the edges of each other’s clothes, and eventually, Tony pulled back, easing Steve away with a hand on his chest, trying to find his breath.

Steve brushed the pad of his thumb along Tony’s jaw, a serene smile on his face - his first smile since he came home from SHIELD. Then he frowned again, and Tony was filled with an all-consuming need to put the smile back on.

“What about, um, that guy you were with? Jason?” Steve asked.

Tony waved a hand dismissively. “It was just a hookup, not serious.”

Steve’s hands clenched and released on Tony’s hips. “I’m serious,” he said. “I’m serious about this - you.”

No doubts. “Me too. Steve, if you want this, I’m in one hundred percent. I’d honestly never thought - but I’m in.” The smile came back, full force, and Tony’s chest eased again.

“There’s a lot we have to - uh - talk about... I guess. People are going to… say more things. About both of us. Rafferty won’t keep his mouth shut, once he can open it again… I -” And the smile was threatened again, slipping sideways off Steve’s face, and that wouldn’t do at all. Sure, there were things to worry about, but they could worry about them tomorrow.

“Hey, Steve?” Steve cut himself off, beaming uncertainly at Tony, tilting his head in question. “Kiss me again.”

He did.


End file.
